About ImpactED

Our work

ImpactED empowers leaders with critical skills and data to accelerate social change. Housed within the College of Liberal and Professional Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, we bridge the worlds of research and practice by applying rigorous and responsive evaluation methods and instructional design principles to meet client and community needs.

We have a proven track record in helping organizations identify and meet their objectives. Our work equips social impact leaders with the knowledge, skills, and tools they need to increase personal and organizational effectiveness.

Our approach

There are thousands of organizations working tirelessly to make an impact in the community. However, many organizations lack the resources or expertise they need to meaningfully use data to evaluate their outcomes and enhance performance. Our unique three-phased approach increases organizational leaders’ effectiveness by equipping them with the information, skills, and tools they need to drive improvement and share their story with the broader community.

Evaluation Strategy. Organizations are often searching for more meaningful measures of impact so they can strategically prioritize their actions. During this phase, we work with organizational leaders to create a logic model or theory of change and develop comprehensive indicators – and systems – to track their progress.

Data Collection & Analysis. With limited capacity, it can be challenging for organizations to create a realistic and actionable plan for data collection and analysis. During this phase, we either build internal capacity for data management or serve as an independent evaluator to assess organizational impact.

Data Use. Too often, evaluation reports are not used to inform practice. During this phase, we help organizational leaders use evaluation data to inform implementation planning and strategic communication to diverse stakeholders.

Our team

Our team is comprised of researchers and evaluators, data analysts, program and instructional designers, and facilitators and coaches, who recognize the value of building leadership and organizational capacity.

We approach all of our work with a commitment to our core values of empathy, excellence, and continuous improvement.

Empathy. We believe our clients are experts in their work and view each relationship as a true partnership. At the beginning of a project, we take the time to understand our clients’ unique needs, structure, and culture so that we can tailor our approach accordingly.

Excellence. We believe that data will only accelerate social change if it’s both rigorous and relevant. We are committed to ensuring that all our products and trainings meet high standards and can be used to inform improvement.

Continuous Improvement. As evaluators ourselves, we walk the talk. We constantly evaluate our practice and use the feedback we get from clients to improve our own effectiveness.